Cord-clamp.



F. U. PBRRUTT. CORD CLAMP APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1908.

Patented. Mar. 1, 1910.

Stratum ANDREW a GRAHAM co more muss rum En STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. PERROTT, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 PERROT'T' MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

CORD-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 8, 1908.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

Serial No. 442,576.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. PERROTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Cord-Clamp, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in cord clamps for window shades, awnings, transoms, etc.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of cord clamps, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflieient cord clamp, designed for use in 0011- nection with window shades, awnings, tran some and other devices having adjusting cords or ropes, and adapted when a cord or rope is pulled upon to permit the same to be drawn readily through it for enabling the shade, awning, or the like to be raised, and capable of automatically gripping such cord or rope for securing the same in its adjustment.

The invention also has for its object to provide a cord clamp, adapted to prevent a window shade, awning or the like from accidentally dropping, and capable of being readily operated to permit a rope or cord to slide freely through it when it is desired to lower the window shade, awning, or the like.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claim, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cord clamp, constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a window frame. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view, illustrating the manner of disengaging the clamping lever from the operating cord.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

1 designates a bracket, consisting of a vertical attaching plate and upper and lower spaced ears 2 and 3. The attaching plate is secured to a window frame 4;, or other support by screws, or other suitable fastening devices, and the spaced ears 2, which are spaced apart, project horizontally from the attaching plate and are provided with perforations for the reception of a transverse pivot 5 of a clamping lever 6. The clamping lever consists of an inwardly extending gripping arm 7 and an outwardly extending weighted arm, provided with an enlarged portion or head 8 at its outer end and having a bore or passage 9, passing through the head 8 and arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the weighted arm. The pas sage 9 receives the outer or lower portion of an operatin cord 10, which is designed to be connected with a window shade of any construction employing an operating cord, and as the device is applicable to various styles of window shades, and may also be advantageously employed for securing the adjusting cord or rope of an awning, transom or the like, a description and illustration of a curtain shade is deemed unnecessary. The enlargement of the outwardly extending arm of the lever not only provides a weight for automatically swinging the lever into engagement with the sash cord, but it enables a relatively long cord-receiving passage to be formed in the lever to se cure a frictional engagement between the cord and the said lever, which results in quickly swinging the latter into engagement with the cord and in preventing the latter from slipping.

The cord-engaging arm 7, which is arranged at an angle to the weighted outwardly extending arm, extends downward and inward from the pivot 5, and it is provided at its end with serrations or teeth 11 for enabling it to securely grip the cord, but it may be milled or roughened in any other preferred manner, as will be readily understood. The operating cord extends inwardly from the passage 9 to a guide pulley 12, mounted between the lower ears 3 on a horizontal pivot or spindle 13 and adapted to enable the arm 7 of the clamping lever to be swung outward beyond the operating cord. The pulley is preferably grooved, and is located beneath the engaging arm of the clamping lever, and when the weighted arm of the latter swings downward, the arm 7 is carried inward and securely clamps the opcrating cord between it and the attaching plate of the bracket. The cord is securely gripped by the clamping lever, which engages the cord with a gripping force varying with the tension or strain on the operating cord or rope.

hen it is desired to raise the window shade or other device with which the operating cord is connected, the said cord is grasped at the free end and is drawn outward in substantially a horizontal direction, which swings the weighted arm of the clamping lever upward and carries the arm 7 out of engagement with the cord. The cord may then be drawn freely through the passage of the lever and when it is desired to rengage the lever with the cord, the free end of the latter is moved downward to permit the lever to reengage the cord without allowing the latter to slip through the clamping device. The tension on the cord and the friction of the free end of the cord in the passage 9 will carry the weighted lever into engagement with the operating cord, and the weight will also cause the lever to swing downward into its engaging position, and there is no liability of the device accidentally permitting a window shade, or other device to fall.

hen it is desired to lower the window shade, or other device, the operating cord is grasped and the weighted arm of the clamping lever is raised with the finger; The cord will then slide freely through the device, being controlled by the operator. By passing the cord through the end of the lever, the latter is self-acting on a quick pull of the cord from the free end and the lever is enabled to grip the cord without lost motion, the cord not being permitted to aceidentally slip through the clamp while the weighted end of the lever is being swung downward.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A cord clamp including attaching means, a clamping lever pivoted thereto and consisting of an inner inclined cord-engaging arm extending downwardly and inwardly from thepivot of the lever and having a cord-engaging face, and an outer inclined arm extending downwardly and outwardly from the pivot of the lever and enlarged at the outer end to form a weight for automatically swinging the lever into engagement wit-h the cord and having a cordreceiving passage extending through the enlarged portion of the arm at an angle to the longitudinal axis thereof to form a relatively long passage and produce a frictional engagement between the lever and the cord when the latter is released after operation, said cord being held against movement through the passage by such frictional engagement to prevent the window shade from dropping and the downward movement of the weighted arm of the lever being accelerated through its engagement with the cord.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoingas my own, I have hereto atiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK C. PERI KO'PI.

Witnesses A. R. LnynA, EARL R. LEYDA. 

